Dump bodies for industrial use, such as dump trucks and coal trucks, typically employ a tailgate which is pivotally mounted to the top of the side walls of the dump body such that it may swing between an open and closed position as the front of the dump body varies in elevation.
Due to the enormous tonnage carried by such trucks and the abuse engendered thereby the side walls of such truck bodies and the tailgates are subject to distortion which diminishes the ability of the tailgate and body to form a proper seal. Therefore gravel, sand or other particulate matter can escape through the resulting gap. Furthermore, the retaining fingers of the prior art which hold the tailgate closed are also subjected to distorting forces and are oftentime broken or weakened by lateral movement of the tailgate relative to the sidewalls of the truck body. Consequently, it is not uncommon for the tailgate to become unfastened and the load to be dumped unexpectedly, such as in the middle of a highway or atop a weight scale.